April 4, 2013 Volume 40 Number 13

PM#0382659799

Youth gathering inspires hope PAGE 12 Vol. 40 No. 13

Fort William setting up as mining hub PAGE 11

Weagamow Hawks hockey MVP PAGE 16 9,300 copies distributed $1.50

April 4, 2013 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974

www.wawataynews.ca

Completing an epic journey Six Cree youth and their guide embarked on an incredible 1,600 km journey two months ago to bring a message of unity, cultural pride and hope to Ottawa Benjamin Masty/Special to Wawatay News

Cree youth from Whapmagoostui First Nation walked 1,600 km from their community to Ottawa with a message of unity for leaders and grassroots people alike. Meanwhile, a fellow youth is producing a documentary on the Journey of Nishiyuu, a trek that has touched people across the world. See stories on page 8-9.

DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᐎᒋᑲᑌ ᕒᐃᐠ ᑫᕒᐃᐠ ᐗᐗᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐎᐣ ᑌᓇᐢ ᐸᕒᐊᐣᓬᐃᐣ ᑲᓇᒧᕒᑎ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᐅᓇᒋᑲᑌ ᒋᑕᐎᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᐊᓂᒪᒋᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓀᐗᐨ 2015-16 ᒋᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ 150 ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐊᑯᓇᐠ 50 ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᒪᐠ᙮ “ᑭᒋᓀᑕᑯᐣ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒋᐸᔭᑌᔦᑕᑯᐠ ᑲᐃᔑᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ, ᒋᒥᓄ ᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᒣᑾᐨ ᐁᑭᒪᒐᐗᐨ ᐅᑲᐯᔑᐎᓂᐗ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᓈᕒᒪ ᑭᒋᐠ, ᑲᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲᐠ ᑭᐌᑎᐣ ᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑫᐎᐣ ᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐎᐣ᙮ “NNEC ᑲᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐗᐸᑕᐠ ᒋᐅᓇᒋᑫᐗᐨ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᓇᐣ ᑫᐃᔑᒥᓉᑕᒧᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ, ᒥᓇ ᑲᐎᐣ ᑎᓀᑕᓯᐣ ᒣᑾᐨ ᐁᑭᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ᙮ ᐅᐅᐌᑕᐡ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑲᐎ ᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌᐠ, ᑲᑭᓇ ᔭᐎᔭ ᐸᐸᒥᓯ ᒋᐅᒼᐱᑭᐦᐊᐨ ᐊᐗᔑᔕᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᓇ ᔭᐎᔭ ᐎᑕᓄᑭᒥᑎᐗᐨ ᑕᑭᐅᒋ ᒥᓄᓭᐗᐠ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ᙮” ᒣᑾᐨ ᓄᑯᒼ 100 DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐦᐊᐗᐠ ᐅᐅᒪ ᐅᑌᓇᐠ ᑕᐣᑐᕒ ᐯ, ᐃᐃᐌᑕᐡ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᐠᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑕᑭ ᐃᓯᓭ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒋᔑᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐣᐯᑐᕒᐁᔑᐣ ᑳᓬᐃᐨ

ᒥᓇ ᐁᐯᔑᓇᑯᐠ ᒋᒧᑕᓭᐗᐨ ᐃᔕᐗᐨ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᑯᐠ᙮ “ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐱᒥᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᐅᐅᒪ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᑯᐠ, ᐅᑲᑭ ᐅᒋᑭᑫᑕᓇᐗ ᐁᓀᑕᑯᐠ ᐊᐗᔑᒣ ᐎᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᓯᐗᐨ,” ᑭᒋᐠ ᐃᑭᑐ᙮ “ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐎᔑᐊᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᑭᒋ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᑯᐠ, ᐸᑯᓭᑕᒥᐣ ᐊᐗᔑᒣ ᒋᐊᓂ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᓯᐗᐨ (ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᐎᐣ)᙮ ᒥᓉᑕᑯᐣ ᑲᑭᓇ ᔭᐎᔭ ᑲᐎᑕᓄᑭᒥᑎᐗᐨ ᒋᐎᒋᐦᐊᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ᙮” ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᐅᑭᐎᑕᓇᐗ ᐅᓇᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᒋᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌᐠ $15 million ᑕᓵᐱᐠ, ᒋᐅᑭᑎᑲᒥᑯᐗᐠ, 55,000 ᑲᑲᑭ ᑕᓱᒥᓯᐟ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑲᐃᓯᓭᐠ ᒫᕒᐨ 27 ᒥᓇ ᐁᑭᐱᔕᐗᐨ NNEC, ᑲᐣᐯᑐᕒᐁᔑᐣ ᑳᓬᐃᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑌᓇᐠ ᑕᐣᑐᕒ ᐯ᙮ ᑲᐣᐯᑐᕒᐁᔑᐣ ᑳᓬᐃᐨ ᐅᐸᑭᑎᓇᓇᐗ ᐊᐦᑭᓂ ᑫᐃᔑᐊᑌᐠ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐯᔑᑾᐱᐠ ᐯᔑᑯᐊᐦᑭ ᒋᓇᑭᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ 20 ᑕᓱᐊᐦᑭ᙮ “ᑭᑫᑕᒥᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒋᐅᒋ ᒥᓄᓭᐗᐨ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᐣ ᑲᐊᐣᑾᒥᓯᐗᐨ, ᒋᐊᐃᑕᑌᐠ ᒥᓇ ᒋᐗᑲᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑫᐅᒋ

Cargo Services

ᒥᓉᑕᒧᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒥᓯᐌ ᑲᐱᐅᑕᓭᐗᐨ, ᑎᓄᑲᐣ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᑌᓇᐢ ᐙᓬᐊᐢ, ᑲᓂᑲᓇᐱᑕᐠ ᑲᐣᐯᑐᕒᐁᔑᐣ ᑳᓬᐃᐨ ᐅᑕᐱᑕᒪᑫᐎᐣ᙮ “ᑲᐱᒋᐯᔑᓇᑯᐠ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐊᐦᑭ ᑲᐃᔑᐊᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐁᐱᒋ ᐯᔑᓇᑯᐠ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᒋᒧᑕᓭᓇᓂᐗᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐃᔑ ᐱᒥᐱᓱᓇᓂᐗᐠ, ᑲᐎᔑᐊᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒥᓋᔑᐣ᙮” NNEC ᑲᓂᑲᓇᐱᑕᐠ ᑯᕒᐃᐢ ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᐅᓇᑕᐗᐸᑕᐣ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᒋᑌᐱᓇᒪᓱᐗᐨ ᑲᐃᐡᐸᑭᐣ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᓇᐣ ᐊᐱ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᐣ ᐊᓂᑭᔑᒋᑲᑌᐠ᙮ “ᐅᐅᐌ ᑲᐎᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᒪᒋᑕᐎᐣ ᑲᑌᐱᓇᒧᐗᐨ, ᒥᐌ ᐁᓀᑕᒪᐣ ᐁᑲ ᒋᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐗᐨ ᐅᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᐎᓂᐗ,” ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᐃᑭᑐ᙮ “ᒥᐌ ᒥᓇ ᐁᓀᑕᒪᐣ ᒋᐅᒋᒥᓉᑕᑯᐠ, ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᒪᐠ ᒋᐎᒋᐦᐊᐗᐨ ᐅᓂᒐᓂᓯᐗ ᑲᑭᑭᓄᒪᐎᒥᐨ᙮ ᑭᒋᒥᓉᑕᑯᐣ: ᒥᐌ ᐁᐅᐡᑭᑭᔑᑲᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐅᐅᐌ ᑲᓂ ᐅᐡᑭᒪᒋᑕᓂᐗᐠ᙮” ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᐃᐌ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᒪᒪᑲᑌᑕᑯᐣ ᒪᔭᒼ ᐁᓂᔕᓂᐗᐠ ᒋᐎᒋᐦᐊᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ᙮ ᕒᐃᐠ ᑫᕒᐃᐠ

With over 15 years experience, Wasaya Airways is equipped to transport numerous goods such as food, lumber, gas & diesel fuel, boats, motors, snowmachines, medical and ofÀce supplies.

1.807.928.2244 Pickle Lake | 1.807.662.1119 Red Lake

Call us for all your transportation needs.

Connecting Communities • 1.877.492.7292 • www.wasaya.com

See page 3

2

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

THIS

WEEK INSIDE

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

WAWATAY NEWS...

Fort William moving towards mining future

The power of the hand drum

Fort William First Nation brought together mining companies and First Nations people for a two-day mining conference last week.

While the First Nations leadership wanted to bring information about the mining industry to its members and other First Nations people living in Thunder Bay, Fort William is also positioning itself as a mining hub for northern First Nations.

Wally Bannon said Fort William is looking to develop a mining strategy that may involve a mining training centre and making Fort William an Aboriginal resource centre for mining.

A Moose Cree hip hop artist is highlighting the power of traditions, especially the hand drum, in a new video titled Hand Drum.

Shibastic, who lives in Thunder Bay, is about to release the video online. It features a number of drum groups and traditional dancers in a effort to promote the traditional ways of First Nations people.

Shibastic has performed all across Ontario, Quebec and northern Manitoba as well as brief forays into the USA. Page 13

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ᐁᐱᒋᒪᐡᑲᐗᐠ ᑲᑕᑯᓇᑲᓀᐨ ᒪᑗᐦᐃᑲᐣ

ᐴᕒᐟ ᐎᓬᐃᔭᒼ ᐊᓂᔑᒪᒐᐗᐠ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᓂᑲᐣ

ᒧᐢ ᑯᕒᐃ ᑲᓂᑲᒧᐨ ᐗᐸᑕᐦᐃᐌ ᐁᐱᒋᒪᐡᑲᐗᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐗᑎᓱᐎᓇᐣ, ᐊᐊᐌ ᒪᐗᐨ ᑲᑕᑯᓇᑲᓀᐨ ᒪᑗᐦᐃᑲᐣ, ᐁᑭᒐᑲᑌᓯᑐᐨ ᐁᐃᔑᓂᑲᑌᓂᐠ ᑲᑕᑯᓇᑲᓀᐨ ᒪᑗᐦᐃᑲᐣ᙮ ᔑᐸᐢᑎᐠ, ᐁᑲᐯᔑᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑕᐣᑐᕒ ᐯ, ᐅᑲᐸᑭᑎᓇᐣ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᑌᓯᒋᑲᓂᔭᑊ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐱᐗᐱᑯᐠ᙮ ᑕᐗᐸᒋᑲᑌ ᑲᒪᑗᐦᐃᑫᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᑲᓂᒥᐗᐨ ᒋᑭᐅᒋᑎᐸᒋᒧᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐗᑎᓯᐎᓇᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ ᑲᑐᑕᒧᐗᒋᐣ᙮ ᔑᐸᐢᑎᐠ ᑭᓂᑲᒧ ᒥᓯᐌ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ, ᒣᑴᔑᐊᐦᑭᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᒪᓂᑐᐸ ᒥᓇ ᐁᑭᓂᑲᒧᐨ ᒧᑯᒪᓇᐦᑭᐠ᙮

ᐴᕒᐟ ᐎᓬᐃᔭᒼ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᐣ ᐅᑭᐱᓇᐗᐣ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᒪᒋᑕᐎᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ ᒋᒪᐗᒋᐦᐃᑎᐗᐨ ᓂᔓᑭᔑᐠ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᒪᐗᒋᐦᐃᐌᐎᐣ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲᐠ᙮ ᐃᑭᐌᓂᐗᐠ ᑲᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐗᐨ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ ᐁᐎᐱᑐᐗᐨ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᑎᐸᒋᒧᐎᓇᐣ ᒋᑎᐸᒋᒧᑕᐗᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐗᐠ ᑲᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᐅᐅᒪ ᑕᐣᑐᕒ ᐯ᙮ ᐴᕒᐟ ᐎᓬᐃᔭᒼ ᐅᓇᓯᑎᓱᐗᐠ ᒋᑭᐅᒋᒪᒐᓂᐗᐠ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᐅᐅᐌᑎ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ᙮ ᐙᓬᐃ ᐸᓇᐣ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐴᕒᐟ ᐎᓬᐃᔭᒼ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐗᐸᑕᓇᐗ ᒋᑭᒪᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᐅᓇᒋᑫᐎᓇᐣ ᒋᑭᑕᑯᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᐣ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᒥᓇ ᒋᑭᓇᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐴᕒᐟ ᐎᓬᐃᔭᒼ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐤ ᐊᐸᒋᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᓄᑕᓯᓂᑫᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᐅᐣᒋ᙮

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Peetabeck basketball camp inspires youth Attawapiskat youth named to provincial council

Fort Albany basketball players had a chance to learn from professionals when the Canadian Elite Basketball Academy brought its camp to the community.

Fort Albany basketball coach Justin Sackaney said the camp was a great opportunity for the youth to learn new drills and work ethics that will help them have success during next year’s basketball season.

Fort Albany’s girls basketball team was the first northern remote community to make the northeastern Ontario championship tournament this past year, and the boys team also made a good effort at the regional championship.

Chelsea Edwards of Attawapiskat has been named to Ontario’s youth advisory council.

Edwards was one of 15 youth from across the province named to the council. It will eventually have 25 members.

Youth on the council will advise the government on youth issues and program delivery.

Edwards, who was been involved for years with Shannen’s Dream, is one of two youth representing northern Ontario and the only First Nations youth from northern Ontario on the council.

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Information Recovery Advisory Service Randy Suggashie, Owner 805 May St. N., Thunder Bay, Ontario Phone: 807 622-8107 Cell: 807 630-2043 info.recoveryadvisoryservice@gmail.com

Will gather information for the Nations & Native organizations

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ᐊᑕᐗᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᐢ ᑭᐎᓇᑲᓀ ᒋᑕᑯᐱᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐅᓇᔓᐌᐎᐣ

ᐱᑕᐯᐠ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑫᐎᐣ ᐅᑭᒥᓉᑕᓇᐗ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ

ᒉᓬᓯ ᐁᑣᕒᐟᐢ ᐊᑕᐗᐱᐢᑲᐟ ᐁᐅᒋᐨ ᑭᐎᓇᑲᓀ ᒋᑕᑯᐱᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᐢ ᐎᑕᒪᑫ ᐊᐱᑕᒪᑫᐎᓂᐠ᙮ ᐁᑡᕒᐟᐢ ᑭᐯᔑᑯ 15 ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᑲᑭᐅᑕᐱᓇᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᒥᓭᐌ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐁᑭᐅᒋᐗᐨ ᑲᑭᐅᓇᑭᒪᑲᓀᐗᐨ᙮ ᔕᑯᐨ 25 ᑕᓂᑕᓯᓄᐗᐠ᙮ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᑲ ᐊᐱᑕᒪᑫᐗᐨ ᐅᑲᓂ ᐅᒋᐎᑕᒪᐗᐗᐣ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓇᐣ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐣ ᐃᓯᓭᐎᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐎᓇᐣ ᑫᐸᑭᑎᓂᑲᑌᑭᐣ᙮ ᐁᑡᕒᐟᐢ, ᐁᑭᐊᓄᑭᑕᐠ ᒥᔑᓄ ᐊᐦᑭ ᐃᐃᐌᓂ ᔕᓇᐣ ᐅᐸᐗᒧᐎᐣ, ᐁᐱᔑᑯᐨ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᔑᐗᐨ ᐅᐅᐌᑎ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᑲᐅᒋᐗᐨ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐁᐯᔑᑯᐨ ᐁ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐎᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐅᒋᐨ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐃᐃᒪ ᑲᐃᔑ ᐊᐱᑕᒪᑫᐗᐨ᙮

ᐱᑕᐯᐠ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᑲᒣᑕᐌᐗᐨ ᑭ ᐃᓯᓭᓂ ᒋᑭᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᑲᓇᑲᒋᓂᐨ ᐁᑭᐱᔕᐗᐨ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑫᐎᐣ ᐁᑭᐱᑐᐗᐨ ᐃᐃᒪ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ᙮ ᐱᑕᐯᐠ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᑲᑭᑭᓄᒪᑫᐨ ᒑᐢᑎᐣ ᓴᑲᓂ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᐃᐌᓂ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑫᐎᓂᓂ ᐁᑭᐅᒋ ᒥᓄᓭᓂᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓴᐠ ᒋᑭᑫᑕᒧᐗᐨ ᓇᑲᒋᐎᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑐᒋᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᓇᓂᐗᐠ ᒋᐎᒋᐦᐃᑯᐗᐨ ᒋᑲᐡᑭᐦᐅᐗᐨ ᒥᓇᐗ ᐊᐦᑭᐗᐠ ᑐᐦᐁᓇᓂᐗᐠ᙮ ᐱᑕᐯᐠ ᐃᑴᐗᐠ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᓂᑕᒼ ᑭᔭᔭᐗᐠ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᑲᐅᒋᐗᐨ ᐁᑭᐃᔕᐗᐨ ᐗᐸᓄᐠ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᑐᐦᐁᐎᐣ ᑲᑴᐸᑭᓇᑎᐎᐣ ᐅᐅᐌ ᑲᑭ ᐊᐦᑭᐗᐠ, ᒥᓇ ᓇᐯᐗᐠ ᑲᑐᐦᐁᐗᐨ ᑫᑲᐟ ᑭᐸᑭᓇᑫᐗᐨ ᐅᐅᒪ ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᑲᑭᑐᐦᐁᓇᓂᐗᐠ ᑲᑭᑲᑴᐸᑭᓇᑎᓇᓂᐗᐠ᙮

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Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

3

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

DFC student living centre announced Rick Garrick Wawatay News

The Dennis Franklin Cromarty Student Living Centre is scheduled to open for the beginning of the 2015-16 school year with accommodations for 150 students and up to 50 family members.

“It’s important for students to have a safe place, a comfortable place to reside in when they are away from home,” said Norma Kejick, executive director of Northern Nishnawbe Education Council. “NNEC’s motto is we provide a home away from home, and I don’t think that is really happening right now.

With this residence we are building, it takes a whole village to raise a child and everybody working together will only be positive for our students.”

While about 100 DFC students are currently billeted in homes across Thunder Bay, the DFC Student Living Centre will provide students with accommodations on the grounds of Confederation College within a short walking distance of DFC. “Students doing the dualcredit program we have running here at DFC, they are getting a taste of the college life already,” Kejick said. “Being around the college, we’re hoping that they continue on with post-secondary (education). It’s great that everybody has come together to support our students.”

Wasaya Group Inc. announced plans for the $15 million, two-storey, 55,000 square-foot DFC Student Living Centre on March 27 at DFC along with representatives from NNEC, Confederation College

Diagrams of the new DFC student residence were displayed at an event last week. and the City of Thunder Bay. Confederation College is leasing land for the DFC Student Living Centre for $1 annually for about 20 years.

“We know that First Nations and Aboriginal students would benefit from accommodation that is safe, secure and is possessed of surroundings that are comfortable to students coming from many locations, particularly the north,” said Dennis Wallace, chair of the Confederation College Board. “With the proximity of college lands to the current high school through trail and transportation systems, the location is ideal.”

NNEC chair Chris Kakegamic is looking for students to achieve higher education levels once the new accommodations are built.

“With all the support of this venture they are getting, I think there is going to be less drop-

outs,” Kakegamic said. “I think there will be more excitement, more parents supporting their children. It’s exciting; it’s a brand new day for a new beginning.”

Kakegamic said the DFC Student Living Centre is an amazing step in the right direction for First Nations youth.

“By giving our children a safe environment to better their education and become contributing members of society, just like the reason all Canadians go to school, this will help their generation and the future generations of these remote communities on and off the reserve,” Kakegamic said. “By including other support services, like counselling, the student living centre will be a happy place for those away from their family and give support for students who need it and otherwise way be unable to

DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑭᐎᒋᑲᑌ Continued from page 1 “ᐁᒥᓇᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᑭᓂᒐᓂᓯᓇᐣ ᒋᐊᐣᑾᒥᓯᒪᑲᐠ ᑫᐃᔑᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᒋᑌᐱᓇᒪᓱᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑎᐎᐣ ᒥᓇ ᒋᐊᓂᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐗᐨ ᐅᐅᐌᑎᓀᑫ ᓂᑲᐣ, ᑲᐃᓯᓭᐠ ᑲᑭᓇ ᔭᐎᔭ ᐅᐅᒪ ᑲᓇᑕ ᑲᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᓯᐗᐨ, ᑕᑭᐎᒋᐦᐃᑎᓱᐗᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑲᑭ ᐎᒋᐦᐊᐗᐣ ᑫᓂᐱᒪᑎᓯᓂᐨ ᓂᐊᐠᐣ ᐅᐅᐌᑎ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ ᑲᑲᐯᔑᓂᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐊᑯᒋᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ ᑲᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯᐠ,” ᑲᑭᑲᒥᐠ ᐃᑭᑐ᙮ “ᐁᑕᑯᓂᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐎᒋᐦᐃᐌᐎᓇᐣ, ᑎᓄᑲᐣ ᐎᑕᒪᑫᐎᓇᐣ, ᐅᐅᐌ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᑕᒥᓉᑕᑯᐣ ᒋᑕᔑᑲᐯᔑᐗᐨ ᑲᑭᒪᒐᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᓇᑲᓇᐗᐨ

ᐅᑎᐯᓂᑲᑲᓂᐗ ᒥᓇ ᒋᐎᒋᐦᐊᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᓇᑕᐌᑕᒧᐗᐨ ᐎᒋᐦᐃᐌᐎᓇᐣ ᑲᑲᑭᑌᐱᓂᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᐅᐅᐌᑎᓀᑫ ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓂᐠ᙮” ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᑲᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑲᓂᑲᓂᑲᓇᐗᐸᑕᐠ ᑖᒼ ᑲᒥᓇᐗᑕᒥᐣ ᐃᑭᑐ ᑲᑭ ᐃᓀᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐃᐃᐌ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᐁᑭᐅᓀᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐁᑭᒥᑯᐡᑲᑌᑕᑯᐠ ᑲᑭ ᐃᑭᑐᐗᐨ ᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᐢᑭ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐗᓂᐦᐊᑲᓀᐗᐨ ᓂᔀᓯ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᐁᑭᑲᑴᑌᐱᓇᒪᓱᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᑯᐎᐣ ᐅᐅᒪ ᑕᐣᑐᕒ ᐯ ᐅᐅᐌ ᒥᑕᓱ ᐊᐦᑭ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ᙮ “ᐅᑭ ᐃᓀᑕᓇᐗ ᐁᑲ ᑫᑯᐣ ᐁᑐᒋᑲᑌᐠ, ᐊᐊᐌ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᐣ, ᐅᐣᑌᕒᐃᔪ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᐣ

ᒥᓇ ᑲᔦ ᐃᐡᑯᓂᑲᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓇᐣ,” ᑲᒥᓇᐗᑕᒥᐣ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒣᑾᐨ ᑲᓂᑭᔑᐱᓭᐠ 2012᙮ ᑲᑭ ᐃᐡᑾ ᔭᔭᒥᐦᐊᒋᐣ ᐅᓂᑭᐦᐃᑯᒪᐣ ᑲᒥᑯᐡᑲᑌᑕᒥᓂᐨ ᒥᓇ ᐗᓭᔭ ᐱᒥᐎᒋᑫᐎᐣ ᐅᑕᐱᑕᒪᑫᐣ, ᑲᒥᓇᐗᑕᒥᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᒋᓇᓇᑲᒋᑐᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑭᐊᓂᒥᑲᐣ 70 ᐃᑭᑐᐎᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐗᐨ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ᙮ “ᑭᓇᓇᑲᒋᑐᒥᐣ ᐃᑭᑐᐎᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐗᐨ ᒥᓇ ᑭᑯᐡᑯᑭᑫᑕᒥᐣ ᓇᑯᒥᑎᐎᐣ ᐁᑭᐊᑌᑭᐣ ᐃᐃᒪ 70 ᐃᑭᑐᐎᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐗᐨ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ,” ᑲᒥᓇᐗᑕᒥᐣ ᐃᑭᑐ, ᐁᑭᐎᑕᐠ ᐃᐃᐌ DFC ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᐯᔑᐎᑲᒥᐠ ᐯᔑᐠ ᑲᑭᐸᑭᑎᓇᒧᐗᐨ ᐃᑭᑐᐎᓇᐣ ᑭᑭᓄᒪᐗᑲᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᓂᑲᓇᑐᐗᐨ᙮

get it if they were living in their remote communities.”

Wasaya Group Inc. president and CEO Tom Kamenawatamin said the idea for the DFC Student Living Centre was developed after concerns were raised by some Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities about the loss of seven students who had been

pursuing their secondary school education in Thunder Bay over the past 10 years.

After talking with some of the concerned parents and the Wasaya Group board of directors, Kamenawatamin began looking into the situation and soon discovered about 70 recommendations from the DFC

students.

“We were looking the recommendations and suddenly it hit us that the answers were in those 70 recommendations from the students themselves,” Kamenawatamin said, noting that the DFC Student Living Centre was one of the main items the students prioritized.

THANK YOU GITCHE MEEGWITCH Racism Awareness Week - 2013 Open eyes… Open Minds… Open Hearts...

Major Sponsors

Sponsors – Facilitators - Supporters Susan Barclay Ontario Native Women’s Association Sandi Boucher Queen Elizabeth District High School Dr. Jeffery Bursey Riley Scott Canadian Legion Branch 78 Sioux Lookout Area Management Board Elana Daniels Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce Brenda Dovick Sioux Lookout Creative Arts Circle Dan Fraser Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority Friends of Cedar Bay Municipality of Sioux Lookout Terry Lynne Jewell Sioux Lookout Out of the Cold Harry Kenequanash Sioux Lookout Public Library Kwayaciiwin Resource Centre St. Andrew’s United Church Mike Laverty Sunset Women’s Aboriginal Circle Meno Ya Win Health Centre Aileen Urquhart Nishnawbe Gamik Friendship Centre Wawatay TV All the people who helped set up and clean up at the Multi-Cultural Feast

SIOUX LOOKOUT ANTI-RACISM COMMITTEE

www.slarc.ca `V\ JHU ÄUK \Z VU -HJLIVVR [VV

4

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

From the Wawatay archives 16-5th Avenue North P.O. Box 1180 Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B7 Serving the First Nations in Northern Ontario since 1974.

Wawatay News is a politically independent weekly newspaper published by Wawatay Native Communications Society.

ᓂᐢᑕᑦ ᑲᑭᒪᑕᓄᑲᑌᐠ 1974 ᐁᐅᒋᐊᓄᑲᑌᑭᐣ ᑭᐧᐁᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᐣᑌᕑᐃᔪ ᑕᐃᑦᔑᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ. ᑕᓱᓂᔓᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲ ᐅᔑᒋᑲᑌ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐧᐃ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑲᐧᐃᐣ ᐅᓇᔓᐧᐁᐧᐃ ᑲᓇᐧᐊᐸᒋᑫᐧᐃᓂᐠ ᒋᐃᔑ ᐸᐸᒥᓯᒪᑲᐠ ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓂᑫᐧᐃᓇᐣ.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan

Commentary

Remembering my father Xavier Kataquapit UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY

I

can’t believe I am writing words dedicated to the passing of my dad, Marius Kataquapit (October 26, 1938 – March 13, 2013). His death of a heart attack has left a hole in me that I know will never be fully healed but will get better with time. Dad was very much a bigger than life, fun filled character in the life of my family and whenever we were with him, he often found it necessary to punctuate our time with laughter and lots of smiles.

He was also someone who thought of life and death a lot.

He prepared us for these realities in so many ways when we were young. He often reminded us that we only have a short time in this existence and that we should enjoy life.

Dad was an adventurous spirit and he wanted to see as much of the world as he possibly could. He planted that seed of adventure in me and it was one of the main reasons why I left my northern home.

In his own way, he saw as much of the world as he could.

He travelled up and down James Bay by foot, by water and by air. He prided himself in knowing just about every river, creek and waterway along James Bay. As a young boy at the age of 12 or 13, he actually started acting as a guide for visiting American fishermen and hunters in the north. When he was a teenager, he left his family often to head out alone on the land to hunt, trap and fish for a living to sustain himself and family. He thought nothing of wandering hundreds of kilometres by snowshoe to get to the next river, the next lake or just to see how far he could go. He did this travelling in the wilderness with only a few supplies, an axe, matches and snowshoes.

He was a survivor of the residential school system. Even though this made it difficult for him as a Catholic, he still held a strong faith and he was a proud member of the church. He was happy to call the local parish priest, Father Vezina a good friend.

When he was 16, Dad left James Bay to find adventure and work in the south. He went to work for forestry companies and that took him to non-native towns and cities where he was dazzled by different ways of living. During his travels he also saw and met small business people who operated shops, stores, farms and machinery of all sorts which fuelled his

imagination of what he could do for himself later on.

He kept travelling and eventually landed a job with the northern railroad where he worked as a lineman with a travelling crew. This work suited him well as he was now able to move from town to town to see new places and meet new people.

When he returned to the north, he was strong, full of stamina, and without fear.

He made it his goal in life to become the best, the strongest and the hardest working person in his community.

Early on in his life dad suffered his first great loss when his mother Janie died in a tragic house fire in the community. He did his best to care for his father James.

As he reestablished himself in the north, he also discovered someone that would help him fulfil his hope of a life as a father. He fell in love with a young woman named Susan from the Paulmartin clan, a close knit family group that wanted the best for their young daughter.

The Kataquapit’s had done their best to raise their large family through hard times.

While dad courted his new found love, he knew that he would have to prove himself to be worthy, so he worked twice as hard as anyone else in the Paulmartin family. At one point, the Paulmartin family head Xavier told him that he needed to slow down and that there was no need to kill himself with work. Soon after, dad was accepted into the family and he married Susan.

Mom and dad spent their early marriage in Moosonee and Moose Factory, where dad was able to find steady work for a few years and then decided to move back to Attawapiskat.

I was always fascinated by the fact that just about everyone on the James Bay coast knew who Marius Kataquapit was. He seemed to endear himself to many people in one way or another.

When dad returned to Attawapiskat he reconnected with his large extended family once again and he often went out on the land with his brothers Gabriel, Alex, Leo and George to hunt, trap and fish on their traditional area. They all liked to have a laugh and even though they did the serious business of gathering food for their families, their camp was often full of good humour and fun. Dad was also happy about returning to the community so that he could spend time with the rest of his family including his older brother Thomas, younger brother David and their sister Celine. see FATHER page 5

Wawatay News archives

Pikangikum school grounds 1983

Wawatay wins Canadian and Ontario awards Wawatay Staff Stephanie Wesley’s series of articles on prostitution in Thunder Bay have been awarded Best Feature Series by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association (CCNA).

Wesley’s exploration of prostitution and its effects on First Nations women ran in Wawatay in August and September 2012.

The series also included a personal column on the effects reporting on the topic had on Wesley.

“When I first chose to write

about the topic of prostitution in Thunder Bay, it was obvious to me that First Nations women played a big part in the city’s sex trade. Simply driving down certain streets, I saw a lot of Anishinaabe women in the trade. What was even more obvious to me when I first started researching the sex trade in general was the lack of press on the subject.” Wesley said. “Once I came into contact with Bridget Perrier, who had been caught up in Thunder Bay’s sex trade at age thirteen, I realized that the women I saw on the streets was just the surface of Thunder Bay’s

underground sex trade community, one which included young teenage girls. I figured that some stories are probably not told for a reason, but I felt the need to help tell this one.”

The CCNA also awarded second place in its Best Feature Story category to Wawatay’s Lenny Carpenter for his article Life goes on in Attawapiskat from January 2012.

One week before the CCNA awards were announced, Wawatay also found out it earned two second place finishes and a third place finish at the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA)

annual awards.

Shawn Bell won second in the Best Editorial category for his editorial on the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug’s dispute with God’s Lake Resources from March 2012.

Wawatay’s website was cited as the second best website in its class in Ontario.

And Lenny Carpenter earned a third place in OCNA’s Education Writing category for his article on Project George, the successful program bringing youth from Moose Cree out on the land to learn traditional skills.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Neegan davidn@wawatay.on.ca

ART DIRECTOR Roxann Shapwaykeesic, RGD roxys@wawatay.on.ca

TRANSLATORS Vicky Angees Fred Jacob Charles Brown

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Matthew Bradley matthewb@wawatay.on.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Xavier Kataquapit Chris Kornacki Geoff Shields

CONTACT US Sioux Lookout Office Hours: 8:30-5:00 CST Phone: ....................737-2951 Toll Free: .....1-800-243-9059 Fax: ...............(807) 737-3224 .............. (807) 737-2263

Thunder Bay Office Hours: 8:30-4:30 EST Phone: ...................344-3022 Toll Free: ..... 1-888-575-2349 Fax: ...............(807) 344-3182

EDITOR Shawn Bell shawnb@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Rick Garrick rickg@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Lenny Carpenter lennyc@wawatay.on.ca WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Stephanie Wesley stephaniew@wawatay.on.ca

SALES MANAGER James Brohm jamesb@wawatay.on.ca CIRCULATION Grant Keesic reception@wawatay.on.ca

Guest editorials, columnists and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Wawatay News.

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Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

Remembering my father Con’t from page 4 Anyone who knew dad understood that he was someone who never stood still for too long. He could not.

He found employment as the hospital maintenance man for several years. While he learned the trade of fixing, repairing and maintaining the operations of the local hospital, he kept searching for new ways to find more work. Through his connections with the hospital, the church, local leadership, the school, the Hudson Bay company which later became Northern and just about every business associated with the town, he searched for contracts, business ideas and employment of any type to support his growing family. He acquired the transportation contract for the local store and using farm tractors, trailers and trucks, he employed local young men and later recruited his sons to managing this business. By the time most of us boys were teenagers, we were at the airport three times a week, lifting, hauling, moving and transporting just about everything that came into the community.

While we lived in our crowded home, dad at one point took in his father James to live with us. Mooshoom was a World War One veteran and just like his son, he enjoyed making his grandchildren laugh with silly things he did. Dad took great comfort in seeing his father at home with his grandchildren.

Dad became one of the major entrepreneurs in Attawapiskat and we followed him through all of his projects. We learned about carpentry, woodworking, machinery operation and care,

welding, plumbing, heating, electrical and just about any other trade you can think of.

The greatest accomplishment he achieved through all this was to instill in his sons and daughters the idea that we could do anything we wanted.

As dad aged to become an Elder in the community and his strength and ability gave way, his grandsons and granddaughters provided him a second wind.

His greatest regret came when he lost his 16-year-old son Philip on Christmas day in 1990. Philip was a charismatic youth who was adored by many people from his home community and his friends along the James Bay coast. The hole in Dad’s life that was left by this loss diminished somewhat over time as he saw his children grow to give him grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

His spirit also fell when

he lost his young grandson Nicholas, son of Lawrence and Christine. He also had to deal with the loss of brothers Gabriel, David and Thomas.

He dealt with the pain of losing his loved ones in the only way he knew: he kept working.

He developed new business projects that included a laundromat, two restaurants, a winter road transportation business, freight hauling, a guiding business, a hotel and a sawmill.

I know he never really understood my interest in writing and many of my choices in life but I also know he loved me dearly.

He was proud of his grandchildren and the steps they were taking to better their lives at home and in cities and towns to the south.

He confided in me once on a road trip out west that his key to success in life was his wife Susan. Dad always enjoyed talk-

ing about how proud he was of his sons Lawrence, Mario, Antoine, Joseph, Paul and of course myself. He was so happy with all the successes of his daughters Jackie and Janie and he lived for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Even though Dad is gone from this world now, I can still sense him and hear him inside of me as I carry on with my life.

I think Dad is still looking for something to do in the spirit world. He was never one to stand still for too long. He is young, strong, vibrant and full of energy again. He has found a canoe, collected his things and he has plans to explore the rivers and lakes that have always been part of his life. On his way, he will find his mother Janie and his father James along a great river where there are plenty of fish, rabbits and geese. They will never be hungry again. His brothers Gabriel, Thomas and David are there.

As he travels the land, he will eventually meet all his other relations and friends he knew and loved from so long ago.

As he sits by the fire, the crackling flames, fresh cut wood and smell of the sap settle his spirit and makes him feel content. He does not have to work so hard anymore. There is time. There is space. He is surrounded by the scent of the pine, the willow and the grasses by the river. He can taste the cool tea coloured water in his cup. His son Philip and grandson Nicholas are calling him by the shore. There is still some work to be done. He now has time to teach them how to hunt, trap and fish the land.

Sioux Lookout’s economy dependent on First Nations Geoff Shields Special to Wawatay News

The town of Sioux Lookout recently celebrated 100 years of being a municipality. Today more than 50 per cent of the people who live in Sioux Lookout, Hudson and extending through to the Lac Seul First Nations land are of native ancestry.

Due to the fact that it is fairly close to the northern reserves, many First Nations organizations such as Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority, Tikinagan Child and Family Services, Shibogama First Nations Council among many others have their head offices in Sioux Lookout in order to facilitate services to their people. All of these organizations employ a number of First Nations people.

The amounts of money that these people spend in stores such as the Northern, The Red Apple and Johnny’s Fresh Market (all of whom also employ a large number of native people) is astronomical and adds greatly to the overall economical welfare of Sioux Lookout.

On average, most First Nations shoppers would spend between $100 and $200 a week in the purchasing of groceries alone. When asked if the money spent by First Nations shoppers contributed to the Sioux Lookout economy, one of the owner/managers of Johnny’s had this to say: “yes, and it is returned back to the community one way or the other, the fact that First Nations people are employed in places like ours helps to generate business.”

In the northern communities the cost of living is much higher

due to the geographical conditions . To counteract the high cost of flying in goods, many people who live in the northern communities take the opportunity whenever the roads are passable to come to Sioux Lookout, to stock up on supplies. They usually spend between $500 - $600 per visit on groceries alone. Again this flows back into Sioux Lookout’s economy.

Another source of revenue for the Municipality of Sioux Lookout is the fact that many of the native organizations pay rent on the buildings they occupy.

Finally, Sioux Lookout is home to a number of First Nations owned businesses.

Companies such Bamaji Air, Mel’s Taxi, Rita’s Taxi and the Wellington Motel/Restaurant/ General Store owned by Muskrat Dam and Bearskin Lake, McDiarmid Lumber which is leased from Lac Seul First Nations and Wasaya Air who have an office in Sioux Lookout, all generate business that in turn helps to keep the local economy running. A Tim Horton’s/Pizza Hut duplex will be opening soon and it is owned and managed by Lac Seul First Nations. Windigo Catering Ltd Partnership is another native owned business which has recently opened a company dealing in cleaning products.

Looking at the overall picture it is not hard to recognize the fact that the money generated by the First Nations people and businesses/organizations helps to make Sioux Lookout a place where people take pride in being a part of the economic development of the town.

INSPECTION

Find in these communities Aroland Atikokan Attawapiskat Balmertown Batchewana Bearskin Lake Beaverhouse Big Grassy Big Island Big Trout Lake Brunswick House Calstock Cat Lake Chapleau Cochrane Collins Couchiching Couchiching Deer Lake Dinorwic Dryden Ear Falls Emo Flying Post Fort Albany Fort Frances Fort Hope Fort Severn Geraldton Ginoogaming Grassy Narrows Gull Bay Hornepayne Hudson Iskatewizaagegan

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Kapuskasing Kasabonika Kashechewan Keewaywin Kenora Kingfisher Lake Kocheching Lac La Croix Lac Seul, Kejick Bay Lake Nipigon Lansdowne Long Lake Mattagammi Michipicoten Migisi Sahgaigan Missanabie Mobert Moose Factory Moosonee Muskrat Dam Musselwhite Mine Naicatchewenin Naotikamegwanning Nestor Falls Nicikousemenecaning North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle #33 Northwest Angle #37 Ochiichagwe’Babigo’ Ining Ogoki Pic River Osnaburgh Pawitik Pays Plat Peawanuck

Pickle Lake Pikangikum Poplar Hill Rainy River Red Lake Red Rock Rocky Bay Sachigo Lake Sandy Lake Saugeen Sault Ste. Marie Savant Lake Seine River Shoal Lake Sioux Lookout Sioux Narrows Slate Falls Stanjikoming Stratton Summer Beaver Taykwa Tagamou Timmins Thunder Bay Wabaskang Wabigoon Wahgoshing Wapekeka Washaganish Wauzhusk Onigum Wawakapewin Weagamow Lake Webequie Whitedog Whitesand Wunnimun Lake

Inspection of Approved 2013–2014 Annual Work Schedule Pic River Forest The Wawa District Office of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has reviewed and approved the April 15, 2013–March 31, 2014 Annual Work Schedule (AWS) for the Pic River Forest.

Availability The AWS will be available for public inspection at the MNR public website at ontario. ca/forestplans beginning March 30, 2013 and throughout the one-year duration.

Ontario Government Information Centres at Manitouwadge and Wawa provide access to the Internet.

Scheduled Forest Management Operations The AWS describes forest management activities such as road construction, maintenance and decommissioning, forestry aggregate pits, harvest, site preparation, tree planting and tending that are scheduled to occur during the year.

Tree Planting and Fuelwood No tree planting is scheduled on the Pic River Forest for 2013–2014.

For information on the locations and licence requirements for obtaining fuelwood for personal use, please contact Jennifer Lamontagne (705-856-4747) at the MNR Wawa District Office. For commercial fuelwood opportunities, please contact Tim Reece, RPF at the MNR Wawa District Office.

CARAMAT

More Information For more information on the AWS or to arrange an appointment with MNR staff to discuss the AWS or to request an AWS operations summary map, please contact: Tim Reece, RPF Management Forester Ministry of Natural Resources Wawa District Office 48 Mission Road Wawa, ON P0S 1K0 tel: 705-856-4717 fax: 705-856-7511

MANITOUWADGE

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Pic River Forest

Pic River Forest

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614

MARATHON

WHITE RIVER

Renseignements en français: Jennifer Lamontagne au 705-856-4747

Lake Superior

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Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

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People living with HIV/AIDS taking control of own health care through summit Second annual gathering has message of self-empowerment and breaking the stigma Shawn Bell Wawatay News

For 23 years, Trevor Stratton of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation has been living with HIV/AIDS. He has seen incredible struggles, not only in his own life but in the challenges facing Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS over that time.

He has also witnessed and been involved in monumental progress in the way

Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS are treated on and off reserve, and the services available to them.

The efforts that he along with many others are making towards helping Aboriginal people living with HIV/ AIDS take control of their situation was vindicated last month with the success of the second annual summit of First Nations and Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS, held in North Bay. “(The summit) was an

amazing opportunity,” Stratton told Wawatay News. “In Ontario there is no other venue for Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS to get together to talk and figure out what we want to do for ourselves, and what we want the HIV service industry to do for us.”

Stratton, who works for the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, has been involved with creating the summit from its inception, along with Rene Boucher

of Sioux Lookout and other First Nations and Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS. The idea in early days of planning was to bring the issues facing Aboriginal people who suffer from the disease to the forefront, and to work on addressing those issues along with service providers.

“We wanted something for us,” Stratton said of the early days of planning. “Whenever we’d meet at conferences or workshops, in the evenings we’d sit together and make wish lists of what we wanted to have in the future. I feel we’ve accomplished a lot since then.”

One of the big issues was the stigma around HIV/AIDS that forced many people with the illness to live, and sometimes die without ever telling anyone or getting the help they needed.

While the issue remains challenging for many people, especially for people living on reserve, Stratton said headway has been made in eliminating some of the stigma around HIV/AIDS, partially through summits like the one held in North Bay, and also through the strength of others who have

come forward and shown that people can live healthy, productive lives despite having HIV/AIDS.

“In Ontario there is no other venue for Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS to get together to talk and figure out what we want to do for ourselves, and what we want the HIV service industry to do for us...”

– Trevor Stratton

The summit focused on the discontinuity of service between on reserve and off reserve health systems, which often results in difficulties for people leaving their reserve to access health care since the systems are different.

It also looked at what Stratton called the “crisis” in the numbers of Aboriginal people among the new cases of HIV/AIDS in Canada.

“We’re vastly dispropor-

tionately represented as Aboriginal people in the stats on HIV/AIDS,” Stratton said.

“Our systems to respond to this crisis need to be broad.”

But for Stratton, the highlight of the summit was the steps that were taken to address how people living with HIV/AIDS can be a part of the solution in terms of providing health care as well as information and advocacy on preventing other people from acquiring HIV/AIDS. “Many times it’s a tokenism,” Stratton said of the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS in conferences, workshops and public health campaigns. “But it is really important for us to be meaningfully engaged in developing strategies and plans. That’s what we’ve done at the summit.”

“It has to do with being in control of our own policies and own healthcare,” Stratton added. “We’re coming to take our rightful places in our communities. It’s not a terrible disease where people have to hide in the corner.

We can be powerful voices, we can be leaders in our communities.”

Open House

CELEBRATING SEVICE PROVIDERS

National Victims of Crime Awareness Week “WE ALL HAVE A ROLL”

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7 pm to 9 pm The Sunset Suites Conference Room

Come out and join us in celebrating local service providers Guest Speakers Award Presentation Information Booths Short Film Clips Light Snacks Refreshments HOSTED BY:

1

Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

7

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James Bay winter road closes Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

A year after it was closed unexpectedly early due to unseasonably warm weather, the James Bay winter road lasted until the end of March for this winter season. “It’s been in very good condition,� Wally Turner, operations manager of the winter road, said of this season. “We built one of the best roads we built in years.�

The James Bay winter road opened to light traffic on Jan. 16 and officially closed on March 29. “Typically about this time, we shoot for the end of March,�

Turner said on March 15, a year to the day the road closed last year. “Right now, it’s like the middle of winter. We still have a bit of snow covering up all the brown spots.�

Turner said the road conditions were “150 per cent better� this year compared to last winter. “We had a pretty good freeze.

And we were able to get a good frost penetration and it snowed when it needed to snow,� he said.

The road conditions and weather allowed for trucks to haul loads right up to the closure of the road.

Turner said the contractors were able to build on the experience of previous winter road seasons. “We kind of have the Cadillac of winter roads,� he said. “That’s what we hear from the truckers. We hold our heads high when we hear those kinds of compliments.�

And while lighter vehicles may be able to continue using

The James Bay winter road, which runs from Moosonee to Attawapiskat, officially closed on March 29. Last year, unseasonably warm weather forced the road to close on March 15. the road, Turner said it will be at their own risk. “We try to encourage them to stay off it,� he said.

Meanwhile, Moose Cree’s Wetum Road officially closed on March 20.

The Wetum Road leads from Moose Factory to Otter Rapids, enabling drivers to reach the

Ontario highway system.

This winter was the first time the road opened after two previous attempts to complete the road.

Moose Cree also closed the ice road between Moosonee and Moose Factory on March 28.

www.wawataynews.ca Coming this May‌

Wawatay’s’ Mining W Mi i Quarterly Q l

Fort Albany Basketball would like to thank the following sponsors for another fantastic season. Special recognition goes out to the Dreamcatcher Fund as well as Peetabeck Health Services and Mundo Peetabeck Education Authority. +\L [V [OLPY Ă„UHUJPHS Z\WWVY[ THU` `V\[O PU -VY[ (SIHU` OHK [OL JOHUJL to represent their school/community through the sport of basketball by WHY[PJPWH[PUN PU V\[ VM [V^U NHTLZ PU SVJH[PVUZ Z\JO HZ ;PTTPUZ 5L^ 3PZRLHYK 2HW\ZRHZPUN HUK [OL JVHZ[HS JVTT\UP[PLZ VM ([[H^HWPZRH[ and Moose Factory.

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Onotassiniik sets out to provide knowledge and information about the mining industry in northern Ontario to First Nations communities, individuals and leaders throughout the region.

The magazine will emphasize best practices within the mining industry, while helping to share information about mining activities and mining agreements with and between First Nations of northern Ontario.

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Onotassiniik, a full colour glossy magazine, will be distributed free of charge in Wawatay News in May, August, November and February of each year.

Justin Sackaney Head Coach

For advertising inquiries contact Tom Scura:

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Phone: 1-807-344-3022 • Fax: 1-807-344-3182 1-888-575-2349 • toms@wawatay.on.ca

8

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Wawatay News

APRIL 4, 2013

9

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

The Journey of Nishiyuu inspires thousands Youth to tell story of Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

It all started in mid-December when a youth in Whapmagoostui First Nation began thinking of ways to show his support for Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence.

At the time, Spence was in the first few days of her fast in Ottawa, where she wanted to meet with the prime minister and governor general to discuss Canada’s treaty relationship with First Nations.

“It really touched me to see how much she put herself through for her people,” said David Kawapit, who was 17 at the time. “And that got me thinking to see how I can show support without waiting for someone else to start something, like most people do.”

Kawapit came up with the idea walking from his community, located along the Hudson Bay coast in northern Quebec, all the way Ottawa, some 1,600 kilometres away, in the middle of winter.

As he strongly considered the idea for a couple of days, he had a vision of a wolf and a bear. In Kawapit’s vision the wolf symbolized First Nations people in Canada and the bear symbolized the government.

“When (a wolf is) alone, it can be easily killed by a bear.

But when the wolf has his brothers to call upon, he can easily take down the bear,” Kawapit said. “That’s how the journey became what it is to me.”

Kawapit announced his decision during the community’s Christmas festivities. He

“It felt good to accomplish what you set to out to do for your people. It felt good that a lot of people shared a vision.”

-David Kawapit

originally planned to depart New Years Day, but Elders and supporters advised him to wait until waterways were frozen so crossing would be safe.

The extra time allowed for other youth to join up for the journey.

The youth walkers decided to call it the Journey of Nishiyuu.

Matthew Mukash, a former chief of the community and former grand chief of the Grand Council of the Crees, said nishiyuu is a term derived from a local legend.

“Before the birth of human species, all kingdoms of nature knew that there would be a new species that would roam the earth and they called it nishiyuu,” he said. “We use it in our language to distinguish from other species of nature.”

Donning snowshoes and pulling toboggans, Kawapit, Jordon Masty, Stanley George Jr., Travis George, Johnny Abraham, Raymond Kawapit and Gordie Rupert embarked on their journey in hopes of bringing a message of unity.

Their first destination was Chisasibi First Nation, located about 240 kilometres southwest of Whapmagoostui. The first stretch would be the lon-

Photos by Ben Powless/Special to Wawatay News

The Journey of Nishiyuu reached Ottawa on March 25 after six youth and their guide from Whapmagoostui First Nation left home in mid-January and travelled 1,600 km in an effort to promote unity.

In December, David Kawapit (centre) came up with the idea for the journey after being inspired by Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, who in the middle of her fast.

gest leg of the trek.

The walkers braved temperatures that averaged –40 C and would dip to –50 C. “That was hell,” Kawapit laughed. “But it was probably the funnest times for me and the guys, because for us seven we were getting to know each other and becoming friends.”

The experience allowed the walkers to bond. Kawapit said some of them had never talked to each other before the walk.

“For example, me and Gor-

“There was a time where I thought I couldn’t complete the walk myself, but I knew the other guys would,” he said. “But I got some counselling from someone who was following us.”

The number of walkers continued to grow as they entered Algonquin territory. This included Edmond Etherington of Moose Cree First Nation, who joined on March 3 in Lac Simon, Que. The 31-year-old was one of Spence’s helpers for 40 days on Victoria Island when she was conducting her

die Rupert, we never once communicated with each other back home, but on this journey, we became brothers, really,” he said. “It shows how this journey unites people.”

After two weeks, the walkers reached Chisasibi. When they left the community on Feb. 1, eight youth joined them. The walkers numbered 35 when they left Wemindji on Feb. 8, and 42 when they left Eastmain on Feb. 15.

The last Cree community

of Waskaganish held a special meaning to Kawapit. In 2009, he and other youth had completed the Journey of Eeyou Istchee, a walk through their traditional territory to Waskaganish.

“That’s when I learned a lot about myself,” he said, adding that later that year he paddled along the Rupert River before it was diverted.

The Journey of Nishiyuu did present challenges for Kawapit.

fast.

“I wanted to go support them because they supported Theresa Spence and what she’s trying to do,” Etherington said of his reason for joining.

In the initial days, Etherington did not talk much to the other walkers.

“I just kept to myself because I wanted to see people and if they were into the walk,” he said. “I saw people that were really determined to make a statement towards society today about unity.”

The number of walkers reached

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bundle. They went through all the hardships,” Mukash said.

“And that’s what happened to these guys (in the Journey of Nishiyuu). Some wanted to quit, but through support of others, they sat together and said we have to finish this journey.”

Mukash said the legend is prophetic of what he sees as a changing time, as the spirit of summer was brought back and all the new life began.

“One day, this is going to happen again,” he said.

“There’s so much love resulting from this journey.”

Mukash said they are getting messages from all corners of the earth from people who are touched by the Journey of Nishiyuu.

“We’re getting invitations from all over the world for these original seven to come and talk,” he said.

Kawapit said the journey was a spiritual one that changed him.

“It really showed me who I am and what I want to do,” he said. “It tested me mentally, emotionally and physically. It set the limits on how far I can push myself. I don’t regret doing it at all.”

Kawapit, who turned 18 years old during the journey, has no specific plans to do another walk in the near future, but said he will be there to support any youth who “answer the call.”

“My future is set on my people now, and whenever they need me, I’ll be there,” he said. “Right now, I’ll go home to rest.”

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journey in documentary Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

Benjamin Masty said the community of Whapmagoostui First Nation was taken by surprise last Christmas Eve when then 17-year-old David Kawapit announced he and other youth would be walking to Ottawa.

“I think everyone was surprised and kind of skeptical. Like, really, all the way to Ottawa? Can you do it?” Masty, 29, said.

son College in Montreal, saw the need to document the journey.

“The journey is amazing, that’s the thought I had, that this needs to be filmed,” he said.

“The journey is amazing, that’s the thought I had, that this needs to be filmed.”

-Benjamin Masty

Masty, who is the community’s youth chief, said Kawapit spoke with Elders and the chief, Stanley George Sr., to talk about the journey.

“He wanted to go on the journey just like that,” Masty said. “So they stopped him, and said let’s figure out the logistics, see if the trails are safe.”

Since lakes and rivers were not completely frozen by Kawapit’s desired departure date of New Years Day, the journey was postponed to Jan. 16.

Then Kawapit, five other youth and their guide set off on the Journey of Nishiyuu.

Masty, who studied video and communications at Daw-

Benjamin Masty He captured footage of the walkers leaving the community and met up with them a week later.

“They were in good spirits and really pumped up,” Masty said.

Masty shot more footage of the walkers, though he encountered technical difficulties thanks to the elements.

“My camera froze up, and it was only 5-10 minutes. It was that cold,” he said with a laugh. “It was two hours before it worked again, I thought I broke it.”

Masty also took the opportu-

nity to take photos of the walkers for promotional purposes.

The photos would be widely circulated through social media and used on the Journey’s website.

Masty caught up with the walkers on the last day of the walk, when they were 18 kilometres from Ottawa.

“I was with them for two to three hours before they arrived at Victoria Island,” he said. “I was sweating and had blisters, because they walk pretty fast.”

Masty said he was “extremely happy” to see the walkers reach Parliament Hill, especially knowing the challenges each youth faced in their personal lives before the journey.

One of the walkers suffered the loss of his infant boy and carried a photo of him throughout the journey.

“He has dreams about him a lot,” Masty said. “He said, one of his dreams he was a grown man, and came to see him, and said I’m happy you’re doing this, I’m always going to be there in your journey.”

With the journey complete, Masty plans on conducting more interviews for a documentary he is producing of the walk. He hopes the film will be complete by the summer.

Masty said he sees Kawapit, who used to babysit Masty’s son, in different light now that the journey is over.

“My girlfriend was joking around, saying I’m gonna feel awkward asking him to babysit again,” Masty laughed.

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270 by the time they departed Chelsea, Que., on March 25 to complete the walk to Ottawa.

Kawapit said he was overwhelmed with the number of youth that joined them on the journey.

“It felt good that a lot youth wanted to join,” he said.

“I really have no words to explain it.”

The Journey of Nishiyuu stopped on Victoria Island, the site where Spence held her fast. There, Kawapit met the person who inspired the journey for the first time.

“I felt really happy to meet my inspiration,” Kawapit said of Spence. “ She was joking around. When we met, she’s like, ‘I’m not sure who’s more honoured to meet who right now.’”

The walkers then made their way to Parliament Hill, where about 5,000 people were on hand to welcome them and celebrate the success of the journey.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Kawapit said. “It felt good to accomplish what you set to out to do for your people. It felt good that a lot of people shared a vision.”

Mukash said the journey was a spiritual one, as it was reflected in a legend passed down over generations.

During the ice age, Mukash said, a young boy wouldn’t stop crying because his grandfather passed on said he would not stop crying until a bundle containing the spirit of summer was retrieved from another tribe.

“The tribe chose the best runners, or walkers, to get the

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á?§á?Šá?§á?Šá‘Œ á?Šá’‹á’§á?§á?ƒá“‡á?Ł

Search for truth leads Wassaykeesic to activism Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Gary Wassaykeesic’s relentless search for information about his mother’s 1976 death has led him to an activist role for a variety of causes. “When people started hearing about what I was doing, looking into my mother’s case, I started getting involved with missing murdered Native women’s issues and I started working on other cases, not just my mother’s,� said Wassaykeesic, who began looking into his mother’s death about five years ago after receiving his residential school compensation payment. “But then I started hearing about residential schools, so I started working on residential schools. And then the sixties scoop. And now land claims.�

Wassaykeesic has since been involved with the Mohawks

and the Occupy movement in Toronto. “I was very involved with the occupation in Toronto,�

Wassaykeesic said. “One of the good things about Occupy was we got to lead quite a few of the marches — Native people got to lead the marches because we made them realize that we were on occupied land, that they were occupying land and we were occupied people.

That’s why we got to lead the marches.�

Wassaykeesic said he is now being labelled as an activist, an advocate and a spokesperson. “Now I’m getting invited to attend these events and now I’m getting invited to other movements where they want my presence because I’ve learnt to be effective, I’ve learnt to be very vocal and I try to get the word out as to what exactly happened to our people, not

Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Mishkeegogamang’s Gary Wassaykeesic helped stop a train during a protest at a uranium pellet processing plant in Toronto, as shown in the middle photo on a newspaper from Toronto.

REVIEW Ogoki 2008–2018 Forest Management Plan Review of Proposed Operations For Phase II 2013–2018 Information Centre The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Geraldton Area Natural Resource Advisory Committee (GANRAC) invite you to Information Centres to help us develop the second five-year term (2013–2018) of the 2008– 2018 Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Ogoki Forest.

You will have the opportunity to review and comment on: t 5IF QSPQPTFE BSFBT JEFOUJGJFE GPS IBSWFTU SFOFXBM BOE UFOEJOH PQFSBUJPOT t 5IF QSPQPTFE SPBE MPDBUJPOT BOE DPOEJUJPOT GPS UIF TFDPOE GJWF ZFBS UFSN You will also have an opportunity to contribute to the background information to be used in planning.

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just myself but my family, community and people in general right across the country,� Wassaykeesic said. Wassaykeesic was recently invited to help out with a protest at a uranium pellet manufacturing plant in Toronto.

“One of the good things about Occupy was we got to lead quite a few of the marches — Native people got to lead the marches because we made them realize that we were on occupied land...� – Gary Wassaykeesic

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at the Nakina Community Centre Thursday, May 9, 2013 at the Geraldton Community Centre Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at the Eabametoong Community Hall " TVNNBSZ NBQ TIPXJOH QSPQPTFE BSFBT GPS IBSWFTU SFOFXBM BOE UFOEJOH PQFSBUJPOT BT XFMM BT UIF QSPQPTFE SPBE corridors will be available at the Information Centre or upon request.

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Meetings with representatives of the planning team and the GANRAC can be requested at any time during the planning process. Reasonable opportunities to meet planning team members during non-business hours will be provided upon SFRVFTU *G ZPV SFRVJSF NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO PS XJTI UP EJTDVTT ZPVS JOUFSFTUT BOE DPODFSOT XJUI B QMBOOJOH UFBN NFNCFS please contact one of the individuals listed below: Ben Bartlett, RPF 1MBO "VUIPS .BOBHFNFOU 'PSFTUFS ./3 tel: 807-887-5024 e-mail: ben.bartlett@ontario.ca

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During the planning process there is an opportunity to make a written request to seek resolution of issues with the plan BVUIPS UIF ./3 %JTUSJDU .BOBHFS PS UIF 3FHJPOBM %JSFDUPS VTJOH B QSPDFTT EFTDSJCFE JO UIF Forest Management Planning Manual (2009).

“It was right in the neighbourhood and there are a lot of people who did not know about it over the years,� Wassaykeesic said. “They were bringing this stuff in by train track and taking it out by train track, and it’s right downtown.�

Wassaykeesic said the protestors stopped the train to get their point across to the uranium pellet manufacturing company. “And then when we stopped the train, that made the news,�

Wassaykeesic said.

Wassaykeesic said there are more activist groups in southern Ontario than in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario. “There is more activism down in Toronto, there is more activism down in southern Ontario, so I have managed to acquaint myself with quite a few of these organizations,�

Wassaykeesic said.

Wassaykeesic also helped at an Idle No More rally in Six Nations territory. “We blockaded and we threw out construction workers who were working on Native land with no agreements or no authority through Six Nations,�

Wassaykeesic said. “We did marches on the properties and on the building sites and we more or less confronted them and told them to move, to stop all building, to stop all construction.�

Wassaykeesic has also been involved with protests against wind power generation plants in southern Ontario. “There are starting to be a lot of people up against the windmills,� Wassaykeesic said.

Wassaykeesic obtained the police report on his mother’s death last fall after lobbying for five years. He obtained the police report through a freedom of information request made by a lawyer with Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.

Wassaykeesic had been told in 2009 that all the information on his mother’s death was burned when the Ontario Provincial Police’s Central Patricia detachment burned down years ago, but because he had been through the government system for years, he knew government was built upon a paper trail, so he kept digging. “Now that I’ve got the police report, now I know exactly what happened that night,�

Wassaykeesic said.

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The Ministry of Natural Resources is collecting your personal information and comments under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act "OZ QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO ZPV QSPWJEF BEESFTT OBNF UFMFQIPOF FUD XJMM CF QSPUFDUFE JO accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act IPXFWFS ZPVS DPNNFOUT XJMM CFDPNF QBSU PG the public consultation process and may be shared with the general public. Your personal information may be used by the Ministry of Natural Resources to send you further information related to this forest management planning exercise. If you IBWF RVFTUJPOT BCPVU UIF VTF PG ZPVS QFSTPOBM JOGPSNBUJPO QMFBTF DPOUBDU 1FHHZ #MVUI BU 807-854-1829.

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Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

11

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Fort William hosts mining conference Rick Garrick Wawatay News

Employment opportunities look good in the Treaty 3 area with Treasury Metals’ Goliath gold mine set to spin off about 1,000 jobs by late 2015.

“About 200 direct (jobs) and we think there will be about 800 indirect jobs,” said Norm Bush, vice president of operations for Treasury Metals. “So the total employment impact should be about 1,000 people.”

Bush said the high-grade gold mine, located about 20 kilometres east of Dryden and about two kilometres north of Highway 17, would operate as an open-pit mine for the first three years, a combination open pit and underground mine for the next two years and an underground mine for the remaining mine life of about five to seven years, if no other resources are discovered.

“We don’t see any reason not to keep going down once we get into those high grade chutes,” Bush said. “Our project is a fairly modest project in size. We would be looking at producing almost 100,000 ounces of gold a year.”

Bush said the Goliath mine would cost about $90 million to build above ground, noting it is close to the Trans-Canada Highway and CPR railway.

“We want this project to be a Dryden project,” Bush said.

“We want the project to be designed and built and operated and maintained by people in northwestern Ontario. We want to make sure, as much as possible, that we get our labour force from this area, we get our engineering services, our construction services and support services all from this area.”

Shawn Bell/Wawatay News

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae speaking at the Grow Greenstone conference in Thunder Bay.

Rick Garrick/Wawatay News

Fort William’s Ed Collins checks out career options during the Fort William First Nation Mining Conference.

Treasury Metals was one of six mining companies that presented information about their mining projects at the Fort William First Nation Mining Conference, held March 25-26 at the Fort William First Nation Community Centre.

“I’m overwhelmed at the response,” said Wally Bannon, Fort William’s communication officer about the conference.

“We targeted the grassroots levels, the Aboriginals, the women and the youth and we hit it right on the nose in terms of those people wanting more information about this new economy coming in the future.”

Bannon said his community is also looking for more involvement in the new mining economy.

“We want to be the hub for First Nation communities in northwestern Ontario,” Bannon said. “We want to look to develop a strategy that includes potentially a mining training centre, potentially housing for students coming to Thunder

Bay from the far north (and we’re) looking at becoming an Aboriginal resource centre for mining.”

Fort William’s Craig Morriseau was one of the youth who attended the conference with an interest in working in the mining field.

“I’m going to go to college and try to take a mining course,” said the Grade 12 student. “I like the outdoors and it looks like a nice job.”

Shoal Lake 40’s Faith Redsky is excited about potential employment opportunities in the mining industry.

“I don’t mind doing the heavy work,” said the Grade 10 student. “I’m kind of interested in getting into the actual mines and doing work in there.”

Whitesand’s Kyra Willoughby was interested in the cost of building the mines.

“It actually cost a lot more than I thought it would,” said the Grade 9 student.

Fort William’s Rene Boucher said it is important to provide

people with information about potential careers in the mining industry.

“The key is getting that information out to the youth,” said the Fort William First Nation employment and training coordinator, noting that her community is offering a mining strategy training program.

“The idea is to really focus on literacy and education. Statistically speaking, we know that First Nations people have a lower percentage of graduation rates than the mainstream so we’re really focusing on that area because we know that in the mining industry you need to have your Grade 12 diploma, you need to have certain levels of math and science.”

Presentations were also made by Webequie Deputy Chief Elsie MacDonald on Women in Mining, Vern Ogima on Aboriginal Involvement in Mining and Anishinabek Employment and Training Service’s John DeGiacomo on Mining Essentials.

Liberal leader says Ring of Fire has to be done in ‘right way’ Shawn Bell Wawatay News

The federal conflict of interest commissioner has cleared interim Liberal leader Bob Rae to serve as a chief negotiator for Matawa First Nations on the Ring of Fire.

Rae told Postmedia News that he has received guidelines on how to proceed from the federal ethics watchdog Mary Dawson.

While the former Ontario premier said Matawa has as of yet made no official offer, he is willing to take on the position.

During a mining conference hosted by the municipality of Greenstone on March 25, Rae told a gathered crowd in Thunder Bay that the Ring of Fire has to develop in the “right way.”

“I would appeal to everyone to recognize that the message is not that First Nations people want to stop development,” Rae said during his speech. “What I’m hearing is that people want development to happen in a way that sustains

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long-term prosperity of each and every person and community.”

Rae, who will return to being a regular MP once a new Liberal leader is selected, said a change of understanding is necessary from everyone involved in the development.

“Whether this potential is developed in the right way is up to us – I mean everyone,” Rae said. “It is going to require a deep deal of change of understanding and attitudes to persuade people that the Crown isn’t the only game in town, that companies are not the only game in town.

That there are other players in the game.”

Rae added that time is of the essence when it comes to getting First Nations involvement in the mining development and encouraging First Nations participation in the Ring of Fire.

“The challenge we face is a big one, and we cannot waste any time,” Rae said. “We need to find ways to turn the potential into reality.

12

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Hope built at youth conference Stephanie Wesley Wawatay News

Addressing issues like health, education, culture, identity and suicide were on the agenda for youth delegates from 91 First Nations communities during the week of March 25 in Thunder Bay. The Feathers of Hope forum brought youth from First Nations across northern Ontario together to discuss the issues facing young people and work together on solutions.

Kitchenubmaykoosib Inninuwug’s Kathryn Morris, amplifier at the Office of Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth in Thunder Bay, chose to be a part of the Feathers for Hope forum because she and her fellow amplifier Samantha Crowe are trying to raise the voice of the First Nations youth with actionbased plans.

“It’s so positive and uplifting, how could I not be a part of it?” Morris asked. She is currently a student at Lakehead University. “Nobody’s really done a forum like this before.”

Crowe, of Lake Helen First Nation, said that she is on the same page as Morris when it comes to her reason for partaking in the event. “I thought it was so wonderful.

And the youth know that they want to make this change to show how much they can

Youth from 91 First Nations communities talk about issues facing them during the Feathers of Hope forum, which took place last week in Thunder Bay. do for their community. It’s important to raise issues going on in their communities. It’s the youth working towards the future.”

Stan Wesley, the forum’s keynote speaker, was an original member of Horizons For Hope, an event that was held 17 years ago to address hopelessness and suicide in Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN) communities. Feathers for Hope builds on the work started by Horizons For Hope.

A Feathers for Hope media release states that First Nations children and youth are one of the most vulnerable populations of young people in Canada. “Compared to other young people in Ontario, First Nations children and youth are disproportionately represented in the youth justice and child welfare systems,” reads a line in the release. “They experience extreme poverty in greater numbers and face higher rates of malnutrition,

disability, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide.”

The release also states that the youth in First Nations communities often live without access to education, housing, drinkable water, and health care.

Inequality is one of the main issues that Morris wanted to see addressed at the forum.

“We wanted to address the inequalities that First Nation youth deal with, not only in urban communities but also at home. It’s important to know

that inequality exists,” Morris said. “For example, a First Nation student gets $2,000 to $3,000 less for education per year as a student from every other student in Canada. One in four First Nations youth have to live in poverty.”

“It (inequality) has a profound effect on First Nations youths’ self-esteem,” Morris said.

Crowe added that a lot of the youth have to leave their home communities to continue on in their education.

Morris explained that 70 per cent of on-reserve students do not complete high school. “We have to step up,” Morris said.

“It’s time to make a change.”

Crowe said that she would like to see the youth take part in the decision-making process in communities. “We’d like to work with them, not just for them.”

“All youth need to know that they have the power to make change,” Crowe said. “They’re not just leaders of tomorrow; they are leaders of today as well.”

At the forum, youth shared their issues and experiences from their communities, and they devised plans to bring back to their home communities to address the issues.

“The most powerful voice for children and youth is their own,” said Irwin Elman, Ontario’s provincial advocate for children and youth . “I know these determined and passionate young people have an important role to play to effect change in their communities and find solutions to the harsh realities they face.”

The forum also included a career fair as well as a performance by Shibastik. At the end of the forum, the youth presented their recommendations to help improve their communities to First Nations, government, and community leaders.

Attawapiskat youth named to Ontario youth council Lenny Carpenter Wawatay News

Chelsea Edwards of Attawapiskat First Nation was recently selected to vice-chair the new Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities.

The 17-year-old is one of 15 youth from across Ontario chosen to represent the interests of youth and children and provide advice to the Ontario government on how to better deliver programs for youth.

“We talk about issues impacting youth and how we can try to work and get our youth engaged in decisions,” said Edwards while she was in Toronto on March 21 meeting with the other council members for the first time.

Edwards said she felt both “excited” and “nervous” to be asked last fall to be on the youth council.

“But once I actually got to the meeting I got overwhelmed because of all the information

you have to learn,” she said of the orientation day. “You have to learn all that in one day.”

The Grade 12 student is the official spokesperson for Shannen’s Dream, a campaign aimed at pressing the federal government to provide equitable funding for education in First Nations communities.

Edwards has also previously been chosen to be an Aboriginal Youth Ambassador of Canada and met with the United Nations Committee on the

Rights of the Child last year to discuss the issues facing Aboriginal youth, including education, health, child welfare, culture and languages.

The advisory council will engage with youth, young professionals and community partners to ensure that young people across the province have the tools they need to help them succeed.

While it currently has 15 members, the youth council will consist of 25 youth from a variety

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Chelsea Edwards, 17, of Attawapiskat First Nation. of cultures, communities and backgrounds. It will give advice on how to improve the delivery and design of government programs and services for youth, report on specific challenges and share ideas on how to best support youth.

The initiative is part of the government’s plan to ensure young people get the right training, and can enjoy safe communities and exciting job opportunities. The council builds

on Ontario’s Youth Action Plan.

Edwards said at this point, most of the council members are from southern Ontario and that she and another youth from Thunder Bay represent northern Ontario.

Members of the council will serve a one-year term and meet monthly to talk about issues, programs, and strategic planning.

The council will report to the premier and the minister of Children and Youth Services.

March 29 – April 28

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1

Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

13

á?§á?Šá?§á?Šá‘Œ á?Šá’‹á’§á?§á?ƒá“‡á?Ł

Submitted photos

Shibastik tells youth to keep banging on the hand drum in his latest video, Hand Drum. He is looking to release the video, which will include footage of the Little Bear Singers and Shadow Creek, soon.

Shibastik to release new hand drum video Rick Garrick Wawatay News

“Keep banging on the hand drum.�

That’s the advice Shibastik offers in his latest video — Hand Drum — after he was asked to write a hip hop anthem for Cree people. “I thought that was kind of silly to have a hip hop anthem,� said the Moose Cree hip hop artist and workshop facilitator. “Right away I thought that our anthems are our big drum songs and our hand drum songs and our traditional music. So right away that was the chorus I came up with: that we don’t need an anthem, we just have to keep banging on our hand drums.�

Although a prerelease

“Right away I thought that our anthems are our big drum songs and our hand drum songs and our traditional music.�

-Shibastik

of the Hand Drum video directed by Crystallee Mouland for a Confederation College course has been posted on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fitQApqKceE, Shibastik said the official version will be released soon. “We’re going to be shooting the rest of the footage tomorrow,� Shibastik said on March 20. “We’ve got a cou-

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ple of drum groups coming out, the Little Bear Singers and Shadow Creek, so we’re going to shoot some footage with them.�

Shibastik said the official video is about how Native people need to return to their original ways, their culture and traditions and the seven sacred teachings, noting that powwow music and traditional music has inspired him as an artist. “Just having all the dancers and the drummers and all the culture and that colour in (the video), I thought it would really inspire pride,�

Shibastik said. “A lot of it has been shot already, but we’ll see how it works when we get to editing.�

Shibastik said his first big

break in hip hop music was in 2001 when he was featured on an APTN show. He had originally started performing hip hop music at dances in the late 1990s. “Once I got on APTN, I started getting phone calls and performed at a couple of universities,� Shibastik said, “Carleton University was my first big show — it was cool actually. The Whitetail Cree Singers, we did a workshop together and we each spoke about what we do and then we performed. I did some of my hip hop and they really liked it, but for the last song I actually performed Thunder Cry, one of my more serious songs. I performed it over the group drumming, just kind of like an acapella with

a straight drum beat, and the place just had a really good response.�

Shibastik said his style has always been about combining hip hop music with powwow music in a positive way. “Because it was a positive message rapping about my culture and the powwow, it was a really good response,�

Shibastik said.

Shibastik has performed his music and facilitated workshops in more than 40 communities across northern Ontario, Quebec and northern Manitoba as well as one show in Chicago. “It was crazy,� Shibastik said about the Chicago show in an underground hip hop club. “At first they didn’t know what I was talking

about because I was rapping about hunting and ... kind of explaining about where I was from in the verse and we got a really good response. You could tell it wasn’t something they were expecting at all, but they appreciated it even though they didn’t relate to it.

Wow, that was cool, it was a really good response.�

Shibastik is currently working on the Healing Through Hip Hop tour, which includes a presentation on media literacy and how everything is not real on television. “I just let them know television is not all it’s cracked out to be,� Shibastik said. “You’ve got to stay true to yourself and the seven sacred teachings are really a good guideline to that.�

SIOUX LOOKOUT FIRST NATIONS HEALTH AUTHORITY Primary Health Care Unit

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Reporting to the Operations Supervisor, the Medical Secretary is responsible for performing a variety of secretarial duties for Physicians and the Primary Health Care Unit staff.

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‡ Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both YHUEDO DQG ZULWWHQ

‡ Previous experience working within an electronic medical record an asset.

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY ‡ :RUNLQJ NQRZOHGJH RI PHGLFDO RI¿FH SURFHGXUHV ‡ Ability to maintain effective working relationships with patients, PHGLFDO DQG FOLQLF VWDII DQG WKH JHQHUDO SXEOLF ‡ 6XSHULRU WLPH PDQDJHPHQW DQG RUJDQL]DWLRQDO VNLOOV ‡ $ELOLW\ WR ZRUN LQGHSHQGHQWO\ LQ D IDVW SDFHG ZRUN HQYLURQPHQW ‡ Must have experience and understanding of Native culture, and the geographic realities and social conditions within remote First 1DWLRQ FRPPXQLWLHV ‡ Must be willing to relocate and/or live in Sioux Lookout.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check to: Human Resources Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 4XHHQ 6WUHHW 3 2 %R[ Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 3KRQH )D[

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However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

This full time position reports to the Specialized Services Supervisor. The Special Needs Case Manager will be responsible for providing case management to FKLOGUHQ DQG IDPLOLHV H[SHULHQFLQJ VSHFLÂżF VHYHUH PHQWDO KHDOWK EHKDYLRUDO RU complex special needs. The Case Manager should be willing to receive on-going WUDLQLQJ LQ VSHFLÂżF DUHDV DXWLVP GHYHORSPHQWDO LVVXHV EHKDYLRUDO LVVXHV HWF LQ order to provide specialized case management services. The work requires good communication skills and the ability to work as a team member. The Special Needs Case Manager will need to promote interdisciplinary, interagency and inter-ministerial FRRSHUDWLRQ DQG FRRUGLQDWLRQ ORFDOO\ UHJLRQDOO\ DQG SURYLQFLDOO\ IRU WKH EHQHÂżW RI WKH case management of a child.

QUALIFICATIONS ‡ 8QLYHUVLW\ 'HJUHH LQ KXPDQ VHUYLFH ¿HOG ZLWK WZR \HDUV H[SHULHQFH LQ WKH KHDOWK services environment is preferred; ‡ 6SHFLDOL]HG FRXUVHV LQ VSHFL¿F DUHDV RI PHQWDO KHDOWK DXWLVP EHKDYLRUDO RU developmental challenge; ‡ Experience working with First Nations people and northern communities; ‡ Experience in case management is preferred; ‡ Experience in delivery of therapy is an asset.

KNOWLEDGE & ABILITY ‡ Knowledge of Case Management principles and Service System Principles; ‡ Case management report writing; ‡ Knowledge of community resources; ‡ Ability to work as lead for multi-disciplinary teams and with community agencies; ‡ Excellent organizational and time management skills, as well as the ability to work independently; ‡ .QRZOHGJH RI 0LFURVRIW 2I¿FH 3URIHVVLRQDO 3OXV ([SHULHQFH ZLWK D FOLHQW Database (e.g. CIMS); ‡ Knowledge of the people, culture and mental health priorities of the First Nations communities in the Sioux Lookout Zone; ‡ Ability to communicate in one or more of the First Nations dialects of the Sioux Lookout Zone will be an asset; ‡ $ JRRG XQGHrstanding of the Mental Health Act, Child & Family Services Act and awareness of current issues within Northern and remote Native communities; ‡ Must be willing to relocate.

Please send cover letter, resume, three most recent employment references and an up-to-date Criminal Reference Check with a Search of the Pardoned Sexual Offender Registry to: Human Resource Department Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority P.O. Box 1300, 61 Queen Street Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1B8 3KRQH )D[

Email: Human.Resources@slfnha.com Closing Date: April 19, 2013

Please ensure the SLFNHA receives your Criminal Reference Check as soon as possible to avoid delays in processing your application.

The Health Authority wishes to thank all applicants in advance. However, only those granted an interview will be contacted.

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

For additional information regarding the Health Authority, please visit our Web-site at www.slfnha.com

14

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

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Photo by Roxann Shapwaykeesic/Wawatay News

David Sutherland of Fort Albany speaks to 22 youth participants about his running career during the conclusion of the Aboriginal Team Ontario Track and Field Camp hosted by Aboriginal Sports and Wellness Committee of Ontario. Kip Sigsworth, head coach for Lakehead University Track and Field Team, and his volunteer athletes from Lakehead University track team also assisted in numerous activities throughout the two-day event. The camp, held March 23-24 at the Lakehead University Hangar, was held to assist potential athletes to succesfully compete in Regina for the 2014 North American Indigenous Games.

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Wawatay Wawatay News News APRIL APRIL 4, 4, 2013 2013

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Basketball players at Peetabeck Academy were treated to an elite basketball camp over the March break. And while the camp’s coaches were impressed by the work ethics of the players, the responsibility now falls on the youth to keep up the hard work and build their skills.

Basketball camp brings elite coaching to Fort Albany

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Shawn Bell Wawatay News

Players at the James Bay coast high school basketball powerhouse Peetabeck Academy had the chance to further advance their skills during March break, as a southern Ontario basketball camp visited Fort Albany.

Instructors at the Canadian Elite Basketball Academy (CEBA), based out of Cambridge Ontario, spent four days in Fort Albany from March 11-14 running a basketball camp for players on Peetabeck’s boys and girls basketball teams.

Peetabeck coach Justin Sackaney said the camp was a great opportunity for his players to get a different perspective on basketball drills as well as see the benefits of hard work. “It’s really good for the kids to get a fresh voice and more knowledge of basketball,�

Sakaney said. “These guys are pros, they were so knowledgeable and had so many different drills for our kids to learn.�

Sackaney said he had been working to get a basketball camp in Fort Albany for a number of years, so when CEBA contacted him he was more than happy to have them come north.

One of CEBA’s founders, Brandon Mina, said he was extremely impressed by the

dedication and hard work that the participants from Fort Albany put into the camp.

Mina said that the youth from the community not only participated in the camp, but spent four long days working extremely hard at developing as basketball players. “They showed up everyday and worked hard,� Mina said. “Even over four days you could see they had made progress.�

Yet, as he explained, the real benefit for the youth’s basketball careers will come from putting the lessons they learned during the camp into practice over the coming months and years. “Now that they’ve seen some elite level drills, the responsibility falls on them to put in the work,� Mina said, adding that CEBA plans to return to Fort Albany in August for a pre-season basketball camp and may be able to bring some Fort Albany players to southern Ontario over the next year or two.

For Sackaney, his player’s exposure to elite-level basketball coaching is just another step in the community’s progress towards building a solid basketball program. After six years of coaching both boys and girls high school basketball in the community along with his brother Ken Sackaney, he has seen vast improvements in the levels of play and commitment

of youth in Fort Albany.

Late in 2012 the Peetabeck Academy girls basketball team fell one game short of making the provincial championship, but returned home as heroes for being the first fly-in community to ever make the northeastern Ontario championship tournament.

And earlier this year the Peetabeck boys basketball team competed for a spot in the northeastern Ontario championship, coming home with a 2-4 record after beating some bigger schools but falling short of its goals.

Sackaney said the success of the girls team and the potential of the boys shows how, with hard work and dedication, Fort Albany basketball can succeed on the provincial level.

But he noted that success is dependent on commitment.

The coaches of both teams require their players to have

perfect attendance in school, something the boys team had trouble with this year. Sackaney said the boys team could have many more opportunities for tournaments and games, since they can travel the winter road south at that time of year, but they need to increase their attendance at school in order to convince their coaches they are dedicated to the sport.

Dedication to basketball was something Mina said helped him grow as a person, and he expects it can happen in Fort Albany’s youth as well. “Basketball has done so much for my life, and we want to be able to provide those opportunities to kids everywhere,� Mina said. “In Fort Albany its tough because it is so remote to get out and play a lot, but its really exciting to see what’s happening in the community and the progress they’ve made.�

Miigwech!

The Dilico Children’s Foundation appreciates the generosity of everyone who supported the Raising Spirit Fundraiser on Friday, March 22, 2013.

To all of the guests that attended; the individuals, businesses and organizations who donated prizes, cash and services; and those who gave thoughtfully of their time, energy and expertise, thank you.

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16

Wawatay News APRIL 4, 2013

ᐧᐊᐧᐊᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐧᐃᓇᐣ

Bryan Phelan/Wawatay News

Eugene Capay/Special to Wawatay News

Rhoda Tait is presented with two team photos of the Weagamow Hawks in their new jerseys by Weagamow goalie Harry Kenequanash, left, and coach George Sakchekapo.

Tait’s grandson Trevor Chikane said the team was playing for Tait when it mounted a big comeback in the C-side championship against Kasabonika.

Eugene Capay/Special to Wawatay News

Bryan Phelan/Wawatay News

Weagamow Hawks pose in their new uniforms. The no. 33 jersey displayed in front is in memory of Ewen Quequish, a former Hawks goalie who passed away. Memorial jerseys for Quequish and another deceased player, no. 92 Sydney Kenequanash, were draped behind Weagamow’s bench during games.

Rhoda Tait watches a game during the Northern First Nations Hockey Tournament in Sioux Lookout alongside her daughter Evangeline Chapman. Sales from her baking paid for the team’s new jerseys as well as part of the tournament entry fee and new skates for a couple of players.

Rhoda Tait: Most Valuable Baker Bryan Phelan Wawatay News

Rhoda Tait is 75 years old, her hands are gnarled from rheumatoid arthritis and she walks with the help of a cane.

Still, she could be considered the Most Valuable Player for the Weagamow Hawks hockey team … or at least its Most Valuable Baker.

After all, profits from Elder Tait’s bake sales bought the Hawks’ home and away jerseys, covered their entry fee to the recent Northern First Nations Hockey Tournament and even outfitted a couple of the team’s players with new skates.

Warmed by a blanket and a cup of coffee, Tait sits in the bleachers at the Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena, where she has just watched a Hawks victory during the March tournament.

They wore their stunning new jerseys, which provide a sky blue backdrop for their

fierce Hawk logo.

Tait quietly started fundraising for the jerseys two years ago, baking and selling cinnamon rolls and bread, doughnuts and pies. Sometimes buyers at f lea markets in Weagamow would be treated to her specialty – bannock and Klik sandwiches.

“They’re the best,” she says.

The fundraising was her way of supporting Hawks players, all of whom she considers her grandsons, after three of their teammates died.

“It’s sad to see it happen like that,” she says of the young lives lost.

For the grieving players who remained, “I wanted to show them I loved them and cared for them,” she adds, her words translated from OjiCree to English by her daughter, Evangeline Chapman.

And they needed new uniforms, Tait noticed. She had seen the Hawks play in mismatched hockey socks and

sweaters, some of them with tape for numbers.

After a busy Christmas season, bake sales were already good enough to buy the uniforms in time for last year’s Northern First Nations tournament. However, while the

“I didn’t let anybody know what I was doing, just my children.”

-Rhoda Tait

jerseys and matching socks were bought, the Hawks didn’t come up with their team entry fee in time to play in 2012.

“They were sad, disappointed,” Tait recalls.

So, she continued her bake sale efforts for another year, making enough to contribute to the team’s $2,200 tournament entry fee for 2013.

She figures her baked goods brought in about

$5,000 over the past two years.

“I didn’t let anybody know what I was doing, just my children,” she says of her plans for the profits.

Tait’s daughter Doreen, whom she lives with in Weagamow, sometimes helped with the baking in their kitchen.

“And she’s teaching her granddaughters to bake too,” notes Evangeline. “What she can’t do (because of her arthritis), she tells them to do.”

Two of Tait’s hockey-playing grandsons, meanwhile, did the shopping when it came time to purchase the new uniforms. The Hawks colours would change from red and black to green or blue, decided Doreen’s boys, Giles and Trevor Chikane.

They opted for blues, light and dark – close to the shades of the Pittsburgh Penguins alternate jersey, Trevor points out. And kokum’s preferred

colour.

When tournament week arrived, Tait still had some money left, which she used for hotel rooms in Sioux Lookout for some players, and for new skates for Trevor and Giles. Their old ones had been battered from practise on the outdoor rink in Weagamow.

Tait missed being at some of the previous Northern First Nations tournaments because of illness, but as part of the opening ceremonies this year read from the Bible and prayed.

“Even though I can’t do anything with my hands and I can’t really walk around, I know where my strength comes from – from the Lord,” she says later.

On the ice, the Hawks reached the C-side championship game but about halfway through trailed the Kasabonika Islanders 4-0. By the middle of the third period, though, the Hawks had ral-

lied to tie the game, with Giles contributing a goal and an assist to the comeback.

“We were talking about our grandma – playing for her,” Trevor, a 21-year-old winger, says of his team’s sudden turnaround.

Kasabonika scored again but so did Weagamow, with Trevor passing to a teammate for the goal.

In the end, the Hawks lost.

But before the final was even played, they looked like winners to Tait.

Wearing their new jerseys, “They look much better,” she says after a preliminary game. “I’m so proud of them.”

A presentation made after their last game likely meant more to the Hawks than any trophy would have. They called Tait to the ice surface, gave her two team photos, and one by one expressed their thanks.

“Hi grandma, I love you,” Trevor says, bowing to hug her at centre ice.